


The Christmas Surprise

by ellebeedarling



Series: Christmas 2017 [3]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: First Christmas, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, Surprises, he can also be a big dork, shepard can be very sweet sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 17:55:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13013094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellebeedarling/pseuds/ellebeedarling
Summary: It's John and Kaidan's first Christmas together, and John secretly plans to make it extra special for the man he loves.





	The Christmas Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [humblydefiant](https://archiveofourown.org/users/humblydefiant/gifts).



> A Christmas gift for the illustrious Humblydefiant! 
> 
> You've become a good friend over the last few months, and I'm so glad I've gotten the chance to know you. Thank you for putting up with me worming my way into your life! ;) You probably deserve a medal rather than just a story for that! I hope you enjoy this silly little fic, and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!! <3

“So,” Kaidan began cautiously, eyeing his partner from across their tiny kitchen table. 

 

John looked up at him, mouth hanging open in anticipation of the forkful of eggs that had stalled halfway to its destination. “So?” he prompted when Kaidan just sat there staring and grinning like an idiot. 

 

“So,” Kaidan cleared his throat. “It’s almost Christmas.” 

 

“So?” John repeated, setting the fork down with a quiet clatter. 

 

“So… Are we going to do anything for Christmas?” 

 

Shepard shrugged and retrieved his fork, poking the eggs in his mouth and swallowing. “Up to you,” he muttered, focus returning to the datapad in his hand. 

 

Kaidan sighed and stared out the window, appetite suddenly leaving him. John glanced up in time to see the older man’s slight pout and grinned at it before schooling his features back into their standard scowl of indifference. Shepard purposely made a racket as he resumed eating his meal, drawing Kaidan’s attention back to him. 

 

“Did you have anything in mind?” 

 

“I thought we’d at least get a tree,” the biotic said sullenly. “It’s been so long since we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate, I just…” 

 

Shepard felt a surge of pity for the man he loved. The truth was that he’d been making plans for Christmas in secret for weeks now. Trying to surprise Kaidan Alenko took an effort of Galactic Savior proportions. The man was too damned shrewd for his own good sometimes. 

 

Taking this course of pretending it didn’t matter could also backfire on him in a monumental way. He had to play this carefully. Too nonchalant and Kaidan would take matters into his own hands regarding Christmas plans. Too interested and Kaidan would figure out everything he’d worked so hard to hide. 

 

“We can go tomorrow. How’s that sound?” 

 

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief as his lover perked up at that thought, then accepted the kiss Kaidan offered him. “Probably going to be late tonight,” Kaidan murmured before joining their lips once more. 

 

“Well, have a good day then.”

 

“I will. You too.” 

 

The door closed with a hiss, and Shepard shuddered at the sudden loneliness that always swept over him whenever Kaidan left. He forced it back through his routines and habits. The war had left Shepard battered and bruised in body and in spirit, but Kaidan had been by his side, a constant encouragement through the arduous process of recovery. The therapist had assured both men that routine would be beneficial for Shepard’s well-being. 

 

With that thought, Shepard began cleaning the kitchen of the breakfast mess. It was always his first step after Kaidan was gone. Left to his own devices, Shepard tended to sink into depression and despair. Kaidan had come home from work more than once to find an inebriated Commander Shepard passed out on his couch. They’d taken to locking the liquor cabinet while Kaidan was gone and working together each evening to come up with a list of things to keep Shepard busy. 

 

For the first few months it had made Shepard feel like a child, but after many arguments with Kaidan and sessions with the therapist, John finally accepted it and saw the benefit. Knowing what each day had in store for him helped soothe his anxiety, and the tips and tricks his therapist had shown him kept the demons at bay while Kaidan was away. 

 

Upbeat music piped through the apartment’s sound system while he worked to tidy the place. Next on his to-do list were his PT exercises. It was one of the things he looked forward to most every day. The physical exertion reminded him of what it had felt like to be a soldier. Besides the general feeling of uselessness that clung to him like a wet blanket these days, Shepard’s inability to perform even menial tasks with any sort of competency aggravated him the most now that the war was won. Knowing that his body was getting stronger through the repetitive motions brought him a peace he almost felt silly about. His desire for the return of some semblance of the man he was before the war drove him to push himself further and harder in a desperate attempt to make that happen faster. 

 

His schedule kept him busy for most of the morning, but eventually, he showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and his favorite hoodie. The therapist had told him not to lie around in sweats, or his underwear, all day. The simple act of dressing as though he had somewhere to be would help negate some of his feelings of worthlessness. Again, Shepard had been skeptical, but again he’d complied because Kaidan wanted him to, and yet again, it had proven to be somewhat helpful. He really needed to stop second guessing his doctors. 

 

Morning chores complete, Shepard retrieved the box of supplies he’d stashed in the top of the guest room closet. A place he hoped Kaidan would never look. Liara had helped him find the necessary tools and materials, and John had been working for weeks to handcraft ornaments for their very first Christmas tree together. During the war there had never been time. Now that the war was over, there was hardly any material to work with, but Shepard had managed to round up some strings of lights and a few other bits and baubles to spruce the place up with. The Shadow Broker had blessed him with an abundance of red ribbon, paints, and clay which he used to carefully craft ornaments. 

 

He’d started with simple things - snowmen, stars, and candy cane shapes all painstakingly carved and baked in the oven to set, then painted and tied off with red ribbon for hanging. As his skills had improved, he’d managed to make a few more elaborate things - a seashell for Mordin, N7 and Alliance logos, even a few fish like the ones in his old tank on the Normandy because they’d meant something to him and he thought Kaidan would see the whimsy of having fish ornaments hanging on their tree. 

 

His hands were still a bit unsteady, but he was proud of the things he’d managed to produce thus far. At some point he’d like to add things like miniature ships, but he knew he wasn’t at that level yet. Still, the act of producing something as simple as Christmas decorations was cathartic for him. It kept his hands and mind busy, helped him create new, happy memories to override the terrors that still plagued him. 

 

The final piece would be finished today, just in time for them to decorate the tree on Kaidan’s day off tomorrow. No couple’s Christmas tree was complete without a dorky ornament declaring their first Christmas together. Crazy that they’d known each other for nearly five years and never once managed to be together at Christmastime. 

 

The thought was locked down. No need to dwell on the past. It was very bad for Shepard’s recovery. Instead he focused on the present, with one eye turned toward the future. And a future was something they had, now that everything was all said and done. 

 

There was nothing intrinsically special about the ornament he was working on today - just a heart with the year and the words “Our First Christmas” scribbled on with a gold pen - but John was sure it was his favorite. It would probably be Kaidan’s favorite, too. 

 

Ignoring the little voice in his head that told him this was all a bit ridiculous, he put away the supplies and carefully wrapped each ornament in tissue paper, stowing them in a gift box to present to Kaidan the next morning. 

 

**

 

Christmas morning dawned with a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and John and Kaidan burrowed deep under a mountain of blankets. Lazy caresses and kisses led to tangled limbs and Shepard slowly rolling his hips into Kaidan as they shared mingled breaths and murmured words of affection. 

 

Despite his eagerness to celebrate the holiday with Shepard, Kaidan was sorely tempted to spend the entire day, hidden away from the world, locked in John Shepard’s embrace. The former Commander had other plans, however. As soon as the euphoria began to wear off, John was nudging him out of bed and pestering him about getting their day started. 

 

In the shower, he managed to finagle a quick round two out of the man before Shepard insisted that, as amazing as it was, there were other ways to celebrate their first Christmas together. 

 

Kaidan worked on breakfast while Shepard fussed around with things in the living room. He was uncharacteristically excited, which set Kaidan a bit on edge. Commander Shepard’s stoic passivity was legendary. 

 

Shepard was antsy while they ate, casting furtive glances towards the door now and then, and Kaidan had just set his fork down with a sigh to ask what the hell was going on when the doorbell rang. John jumped, then an enormous grin spread his face just as Kaidan asked, “Who in the hell could that be?” 

 

“Why don’t you go see?” 

 

He was shocked to find his mother and Hannah Shepard standing there with an armload of packages each, quickly deposited on the table inside the door. The war was over, but cross-planet travel was still difficult and often restricted to urgent business and emergencies only. Kaidan had repeatedly mourned the fact that he had only been able to see his mother on their periodic vid calls even though the war had ended over a year ago. The pair of them hadn’t stood face to face in nearly two years, and Kaidan was overcome with emotion so powerful it rendered him speechless. 

 

A hand pressed gently against the small of his back and the dam holding Kaidan together broke. Moisture trickled down his cheeks as he closed the gap between his mother and himself. He heard John and Hannah’s reunion somewhere behind him, but his relief at being able to simply hug his own mother overrode all other thoughts. 

 

Eventually he released her and they took a moment to look each other over. She was older, once raven hair now more gray than black and lines of worry and sorrow mapped her once smooth skin. Underneath all that, though, was the strong woman who’d raised him and helped to mold him into the man he was today, and he couldn’t help smiling through his tears. 

 

“It’s so good to see you, mom,” he choked. 

 

“Ah, Kaidan! It’s good to see you, too.” 

 

Kaidan turned to see John watching him, arms crossed over his chest and the most serene smile he’d ever worn on his face. “How did you do this?” 

 

John shrugged. “Pulled a few favors.” 

 

And leave it to Shepard to be completely blase about a surprise as amazing and wonderful as this. Kaidan pulled the man into a hug, burying his face into Shepard’s neck, and whispered, “Thank you.” 

 

“Merry Christmas, Kaidan.” 

 

**

 

“This was the best Christmas I’ve had in ages,” Kaidan said, shifting to drape himself further over John’s bare chest. Shepard hummed and kissed him on the forehead, fingers combing gently through his damp hair. “I can’t believe you managed to get both our moms here.” 

 

“Shameless abuse of my status, I’m afraid.”

 

Kaidan chuckled sprinkling a few kisses onto his lover’s chest. “You really went all out to make it a special day - the ornaments, the food… I don’t even want to know how much you paid for real turkey!”

 

“You really don’t,” John agreed. 

 

“And all of it in secret. You’re a sneaky bastard, John Shepard.” 

 

“Guilty as charged.” Shepard tipped Kaidan’s chin up with his thumb. “Worth it though, right?” 

 

“Every minute.” 

 

John grinned and wiggled around to kiss his lover, long and satisfying. Heady tension built between them as fingers wandered and the kiss continued, straying over stubbled jaws now and again. Shepard rolled them over, movements becoming more purposeful, signaling clearly what he wanted. 

 

“Again? Doesn’t this make like the fourth time today?” Kaidan teased, half breathless from anticipation already. 

 

“Are you keeping score or something?” John lifted his head to look at the man with a furrowed brow. 

 

“No, just…”

 

“It’s not like the sex police are going to bust down our door for going over the daily quota.” 

 

Kaidan’s laugh turned into a moan as John licked a trail up the smooth column of his neck. 

 

“Besides,” John whispered, “by the time we finish, it’ll be tomorrow.” 

 

“Ever the pragmatist,” Kaidan rolled his eyes, then gripped John’s face in both his hands, forcing the man to look at him. “Thank you for today,” he said softly. 

 

“My pleasure,” he replied, warm and syrupy sweet. Kaidan never failed to melt into the man when he looked at him or spoke to him that way. 

 

Their first Christmas together had been nothing short of miraculous, like most aspects of this relationship that had defied the odds from the very beginning. Getting to know the man behind the legend of Commander Shepard had proven to be a worthwhile challenge. There were still stops and starts, hills to climb, but each day that passed, brought them closer, filled Kaidan’s heart with a love he hadn’t known could exist. 

 

The lengths Shepard had gone to to make this day extra special warmed Kaidan to his toes. This soft side of himself wasn’t something he shared openly with others. Shepard could be a real romantic when he wanted to be, but sometimes...

 

“Now… if you don’t mind, I’d like to focus on my  _ pleasure _ .”

 

Kaidan sighed, “Smooth, John. Real smooth.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: [ellebeedarling](https://ellebeedarling.tumblr.com)
> 
> Much love,  
> Elle


End file.
